Mayor Chow convenes Toronto business roundtable on U.S. tariff impacts

Mayor Olivia Chow convened a roundtable with dozens of Toronto business leaders on Friday, September 18, to discuss impacts of U.S. tariffs and Canadian countermeasures. The city is building on its Economic Action Plan in Response to U.S. Tariffs, incorporating feedback from manufacturers, food processors, apparel makers, construction and technology companies.

Business leaders told reporters before the roundtable that they are surprised by the latest tariffs and that trade uncertainty has made planning difficult. Many said they need government support.

Ben Taylor, CEO and co-founder of Beachman, a Toronto-based manufacturer of electric motorcycles and bikes, said more than 65 per cent of the company's sales come from the U.S., which remains a key market. Beachman has been subject to tariffs on and off since the trade war began, and a ban on Canadian motorcycle imports into the U.S. takes effect September 29. "When we began this business in 2021, I never would have imagined that we would be cut out of the United States," Taylor said. The company is scrambling to move hundreds of motorcycles into the U.S. before the ban and is attempting to pivot to Europe.

Katherine Down, head of production and technology at Lanxess Canada, a chemical manufacturer with a plant in Scarborough, said the company exports about 42 per cent of its products to the U.S. Currently, everything Lanxess does in the U.S. market operates at a loss. The company is looking to pivot its industry focus in Canada to support new products and mitigate tariff impacts through business in Europe and Asia.

The city outlined three priorities: accelerating intergovernmental advocacy for a "Made in Canada" definition and government commitment to buy Canadian; supporting market diversification through the TradeTO initiative to help businesses access new export opportunities and address logistics and freight barriers; and connecting businesses with Canadian suppliers through a Team Canada approach involving governments, municipalities, business leaders, labour organizations and community partners. Roundtable feedback will inform future business support initiatives and opportunities to enhance TradeTO. Businesses can access one-on-one consultations and resources through the city's tariff support programs at toronto.ca/tariffs.